Picture perfect
by Kaylzee
Summary: Inuyasha's a plastic surgeon, Miroku's a massage therapist and Sango's a hairdresser... Poor Kagome doesn't know what she's getting into when she goes job-hunting' AUInukag R
1. First Impressions

Disclaimer: I don't own inuyasha, if I did I would be Rumino Takahashi. Basically I got a whole story from the idea about Miroku being a massage  
therapist! Not your average muse but hey, it works!. Anyways R&R and  
hopefully enjoy!  
  
Picture Perfect  
  
The waiting room was scattered with hopeful professional make-up artist wannabes, all waiting for their respective interviews at the latest and best beauty salon in town.  
  
Kagome flipped through the magazine currently occupying her hands. Her fingers automatically scampered scandalously back to the main article.  
  
'Multi-Million dollar heiress Kagura Onigumo weds Movie star!"  
  
"Who cares" muttered the girl under breath. Although, the sad truth was that she really DID care. She, Kagome Higurashi was the first to admit that being addicted to this kind of media representation was just plain old sad. For a moment she thought resentfully back to the first time her friend Ayumi had started ranting about the latest story she had been following, the one in Kagome's lap.  
  
Kagome's ears picked up the repeated clicking of a pen. It was getting bloody annoying. She looked across the room to the source of the annoyance. A cute little blonde girl sat in the waiting room ready for her treatment all the while happily clicking her pen. Either Kagome was going crazy or there was a tune to the clicking. A tune that sounded a lot like 'Mary Had a Little Lamb'.  
  
There were two options at that moment for Kagome Higurashi, either kill the pen or kill its clicker. Then again, the pen looked expensive - so she'd better not harm it. It was one of those expensive fountain pens and it had 'Daily Sun' printed on it. It definitely wasn't one of those cheap freebie handouts either. Odd.  
  
"Higurashi, Kagome" A rusty voice called through the posh foyer of the beauty parlour. An old woman appeared at the door and indicated to a row of girls sitting down the side of the room.  
  
Looking up, Kagome sighed and put down the magazine she was reading - it looked like she'd have to buy a copy on the way home. She got up and toddled off down the hall after the old woman in what she hoped looked like a professional manor.  
  
Inuyasha, plastic surgeon and asshole extraordinaire looked down at his clipboard; at least this was his last patient for today. Then again she was probably another one of those hopeless cases. It had been a long day. He didn't really want it to get any longer.  
  
He opened his door and read off the clipboard in his hand. "Molly Smith"  
  
Yep. Even her name was boring.  
  
He sat down at his desk as a bubbly girl with bouncing blonde curls trotted into the room and arranged herself in the chair in front of him.  
  
After a moments silence he looked at her and, in undertones that promised abuse, asked politely, "And what can I do for you today?"  
  
The girl, however, seemed oblivious to said undertones and chirped her answer back at him. "I want you to make me beautiful!" Her voice echoed through his head in a manor that reminded him of the unnatural perk of the Olsen twins and, mentally at least, he cringed.  
  
"Sorry kid, nothing can help you." The girl looked momentarily deterred but straightened up before starting again.  
  
"I think my nose is the problem, don't you? I mean I always thought it was a bit big and off-centre!" She paused to catch her breath before continuing. "Sooo, do you think you can fix it?"  
  
Inuyasha was quick to reply. "Nope"  
  
"Well then how about my lips, can you fix them?"  
  
"Nope"  
  
"Well what about my cheekbones?!" This was one determined girl. Or maybe she was just a very stupid girl setting herself up for a hard fall. Suddenly Inuyasha got an idea.  
  
"There is one way" he began.  
  
The girl gave him her full attention with big trusting eyes. Yup, definitely the latter. She was too much to resist.  
  
For a moment Inuyasha fiddled around in the top drawer of his desk before finally bringing out a paper bag and some scissors. He promptly held the paper bag up to her face and cut out eye-holes in their respective places.  
  
"Here," he handed her the bag. "Wear this."  
  
The girl stared up at him in shock before bursting into tears and running out of the room. Inuyasha paused, then called out after her.  
  
"That'll be 100,000 yen for your first consultation!"  
  
Kagome sighed, the interview had gone badly. Not just the badly where she was nervous and couldn't think quickly enough, but the nervous where she took a long pause and gave the worst answer possible. For example, the woman, Kaede, had asked her why she wanted the job. She had babbled on about experience and how it was her life-long ambition to become a make-up artist. Which in itself is fine.  
  
The problem was that the woman had just raised her eyebrow and told her to 'stop lying through her teeth and tell her the REAL reason she wanted the job'. Kagome made a mental note: under no circumstances would she tell a possible future boss that she just needed the money. It had only been a slip of the tongue, but what was done was done and she couldn't help it. Damn nerves.  
  
And thus Kagome didn't do very well in her interview. She was still moping about in the foyer when the snooty sales assistant spoke to her.  
  
"Didn't get the job?" The sales assistant feigned sympathy.  
  
Kagome smiled at what she thought was a shoulder to cry on. "No"  
  
The sales assistant dropped the niceties and looked at Kagome cattily. "Well what did you expect? I mean they didn't even make me a make-up artist, why would they hire the likes of you?"  
  
Kagome glared and turned for the door. There was no point in hanging around.  
  
She had started walking towards the door when a hysteric blur of blonde curls ran into her. Sobbing, the blonde made an attempt to get up but slipped again and stayed on the floor. When Kagome's eyes had focused and she had helped the hysteric girl to her knees, she heard a snort. A young, good-looking man stood in the entrance to the corridor, smirking. He looked a little bit different... his hair was white! And he had curious golden eyes - definitely odd.  
  
"I'll write something horrible about you now!" Kagome's attention was brought back to the wailing blonde girl. "I work for the Daily Sun and I'm gonna make sure nobody in their right mind EVER comes here again!"  
  
Suddenly Kagome had an idea. An idea that might just get her a job. She picked the sobbing girl up, sat her down on a lounge chair and patted her back. "Don't worry honey, he hasn't taken his pills today."  
  
Both the blonde girl and the white haired surgeon looked up in shock. Who was this girl?  
  
Kagome sat down beside the girl and whispered something into her ear. The girl giggled and looked up at Kagome with the same trusting eyes she had given Inuyasha. "Really?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
"Wow!" Exclaimed the blonde.  
  
"I didn't know surgeons got jealous of people that look better than them!"  
  
Kagome could only smirk as said surgeon spluttered at the girl's remark. "It's called an inferiority complex, honey. Now do you want me to do your make-up for you? We'll give you a complementary make over!"  
  
"Great!" The blonde literally jumped out of her seat. "By the way, I'm Molly"  
  
"Nice to meet you Molly," Kagome chimed harmoniously.  
  
Needless to say, Kaede was impressed. Not only had the girl single-handedly saved her store but she'd completely changed the reporter's mood. Kaede politely told the woman she was interviewing that the position had been filled, good luck in the future and thanked her for her time. Kaede had found her girl.  
  
Kagome however was completely lost and trying to figure out where the damn make-up was kept. Luckily, a woman that looked a little older than her had hurried over. Kagome expected the worst.  
  
Instead of hurling abuse the woman smiled warmly at Kagome and introduced herself to Molly. "Hiya, I'm Sango, I'll be doing your hair for today." As Molly happily bounced over to the rinsing basin Sango leaned over and whispered to Kagome, "Nice job, and by the way the make-up's in that closet."  
  
Kagome trotted over to said closet and started pulling out the make-up.  
  
After all was said and done Molly Brown, now officially the happiest customer to date, strutted out of the beauty parlour one very happy lady.  
  
There was a pause as Kikyo, the sales assistant, dropped her smile and turned nastily to Kagome. "I hope you're going to pay for all that make-up you used."  
  
Kagome was silent. Didn't she just save the store?  
  
Luckily Sango jumped in at her defence. "If it wasn't for Kagome here we'd all be out of a job, Kikyo."  
  
Kikyo just glared. "She isn't even an employee!"  
  
Sango simply smiled. "Well if she isn't then Kaede's an idiot, which I highly doubt. And anyway, she's got style."  
  
Kikyo was about to shout again when Kaede strolled into the room and straight up to Kagome. "Welcome aboard, I think you just earned yourself a job."  
  
Sango gave a small 'woot' of pleasure and patted Kagome on the back before returning to her station to clean up. All the while Kikyo glared.  
  
Kikyo's glaring was interrupted by someone walking into the store, a dark haired man with a ponytail and a lone earring. The man looked around, confused, 'Did I miss something?"  
  
The man, Miroku, listened to Sango as she told him of Kagome's little escapade and the near encounter with a bad review. He was grinning by the time she'd finished, and, turning in Kagome's direction, clapped her on the back.  
  
"Bloody brilliant!!" Kagome blushed.  
  
"It wasn't that good..."  
  
Miroku shrugged and flashed her a heart-stopping smile. "Modest, too. It's Kagome, right?"  
  
She nodded. "Miroku, right? You work here?"  
  
"I'm the massage therapist." 


	2. Delivery

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Inuyasha, if I did I would be Rumino Takahashi. Basically I got a whole story from the idea about Miroku being a massage therapist! Not your average muse but hey, it works!. Anyways R&R and hopefully enjoy!

A lot of people have commented on Miroku saying 'bloody brilliant'. I figured since this is an AU fic then he could have picked it up anywhere. Umm he went travelling, or maybe he wasn't even born in Japan! It just struck me as something he might say it he wasn't constricted to the culture of feudal Japan. Anyways as they say, On with the show! Or er.. story ;;;

Just so everybody knows this is the UN-EDITED version. I've been waiting months for my proof reader to get off her lazy butt and post the edited version (which only she has the copy of) for me but meh. (No offense though Tsuki ;;;;)

Picture Perfect

Chapter 2

"And! And he was horrible! He just Dumped me like that ON OUR ANNIVERSARY!" A middle aged English woman almost jumped out of her seat as she wailed her story to her favourite hairdresser/ psychiatrist. Said hairdresser was torn between trying to keep the woman still so she could actually put blond foils in the lady's hair and patting her shoulder to comfort her.

Sango settled for forcively pulling the woman back into her chair and echoing some comforting words. She then proceeded to finish the woman's hair, which, in the current circumstances of the client, was quite a feat.

She had just finished her last foil when she heard a rather loud slapping sound coming from a nearby room. Sango smiled to herself, somebody was FINALLY starting to help her with her hobby.

For the second time that day a hysteric blur made its way towards the door. This , however was a different kind of hysteric. This hysteric was the kind that threatened legal action and suing for harassment before saying to herself 'Sod it; I'll just kill him instead'. And thus Miroku was in trouble. He wasn't about the get any help either.

Both Sango and Kagome sighed in union. Sango from her hair dressing station and Kagome from half way across the room.

Kagome finished applying the last bit of lipstick on her client and trotted over to the front desk for the woman's bill. Kikyo was too busy sulking to help Kagome's clients. This meant Kagome had to bill them herself.

Kagome sighed for the second time that day and wondered vaguely to herself how she had managed to get used to this… Unique environment. Unique was the first and nicest word Kagome had managed to recall when she thought about her current job. Kikyo, undoubtedly hated her, Kagome wasn't quite sure why yet but it wasn't exactly on her top ten 'things to find' list quite yet. So if Kikyo wanted to hate her, then Kikyo could hate her.

Sango was a different story, Sango, as far as Kagome was concerned, was a legend. They had become fast friends and Kagome was beginning to feel that she had known the woman for years. Sango was by nature, somebody that didn't take crap from anybody. Thus, she had been chosen to baby-sit Miroku and his… habit.

Kagome thought wistfully back to when she had been told that men often thought with a very different part of their anatomy to their brain. In Miroku's case both his hands AND his brain thought like that. This was quite an ironic turn of events considering the profession he had wandered in to.

Once Kagome had asked him about his profession. He simply flashed her another of his heart-stopping grins and said that he was good with his hands.

Catching the undertones in what he said she'd started blushing furiously. Miroku had taken the opportunity to fondle her butt, an action he had paid dearly for. Kagome wasn't sure who had hit him first, her or Sango.

Kagome had unknowingly earned herself brownie points with Sango when she'd hit the pervert.

"Oi, you!" Kagome's train of thought was broken by a harsh yell. She wiped the bemused expression from her face and turned to the source of the voice.

Inuyasha snapped his fingers in front of the new girls face as if to bring her back to reality. He raised an eyebrow at her as she turned to him giving a startled "wha?" in response.

"I'm leaving for lunch; if a woman named Kiya rings I've either been killed in a Han gliding accident and fallen off a cliff with sharp rocks at the bottom or run away to join the Yakaza. Inuyasha expected the girl to be at least a little surprised. She didn't bat an eyelid. Instead she stared at him flatly.

"Mother-in-law?" Kagome asked offhandedly.

Inuyasha smirked and held up his hands to indicate its lack of a wedding ring. "Not married" He had to hand it to her though, it had been a good guess. Not that he as ready to admit that to himself though. He was still sour about her humiliating him.

"sure" Kagome turned away as he walked out the door, he still refused to call her by her name, and he'd been acting like an asshole to her from the word go. Okay, it was fair to say that they hadn't started off on the best terms but at least she'd apologised later. The asshole had thrown her apology back in her face and he was STILL holding a damn grudge against her. She frowned in frustration as she watched him walk out the door.

God he had a nice ass.

After two drag queens, a woman with a chip on her shoulder and a Anna Nicole wannabe Kagome signed out for lunch, or maybe it should be called afternoon tea. She grabbed her home made lunch and sat down at a nearby table to eat. She didn't even notice a pint sized delivery boy walk through the door.

Kagome was just about to tuck into her vinegared rice when she was once again interrupted by a yell.

"Hey lady! Where do I put this?"

Kagome looked wide eyed down to what appeared to be a walking box, a talking, walking box. She stared.

The box piped up again about a second later. "HEY! I can't hold this thing forever you know!"

Kagome took the box dubiously and put it on the table next to her and stared at the kitsune under it. Kagome could have squealed; the kid was so cute she almost picked him up and hugged him, only, her better judgement decided against it.

Shippou sniffed the air as a delicious scent wafted his way, he sighed happily, then noticed the girl's lunch. He looked up at her wide eyed "Can I have some?"

Kagome barely had time to answer before the kitsune plopped himself up at the table and began to eat her lunch. He gave a squeal of delight after he had finished his mouthful. Between mouthfuls the boy began to talk at a rapid pace.

"I'm Shippou" he piped

"Kagome" she answered, still a little bewildered.

"I like you" he continued, pointing her fork at her. "You're a good cook!"


End file.
